Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by US special forces early Saturday during a pre-dawn raid on their residence in Caracas and transported to New York City to face drug trafficking and weapons charges. The dramatic operation came months after Maduro had openly taunted US President Donald Trump. In a fiery speech last August, the 63-year-old Venezuelan leader dared Trump to “come [to the presidential palace Miraflores] and get him” and called him a coward.
“Come get me. I will wait for him here in Miraflores. Don’t be late, coward,” he said after the US increased the reward for information leading to his arrest.
Viral Video Mocked Maduro
A viral video released by the White House on Sunday mocked Maduro’s defiance. The 61-second clip juxtaposed footage of the Venezuelan leader taunting the US with images from the raid, and included a statement by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth: “He f****d around and found out. He had his chance, until he didn’t.”
Nicolas Maduro had his chance — until he didn’t.
The Trump Admin will always defend American citizens against all threats, foreign and domestic. 🇺🇸🦅 pic.twitter.com/eov3GbBXf4
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 4, 2026
How Maduro Was Captured
The operation, codenamed “Operation Absolute Resolve”, involved elite US forces, including the Army’s Delta Force, and took roughly 30 minutes. Maduro was reportedly dragged into custody while attempting to flee to his steel-reinforced safe room inside Caracas’ Ft Tiuna military compound.
US intelligence had monitored Maduro’s movements for months, tracking everything from his residence, travel, diet, clothing, and even pets, according to Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine. The mission included detailed rehearsals, and Trump claimed a replica of Maduro’s residence was built to plan the raid. “I watched it, literally, like I was watching a television show,” Trump told Fox and Friends, describing the compound as a “fortress.”
Operation Absolute Resolve. pic.twitter.com/KOtW0C0V1O
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 3, 2026
Charges And Detention
Maduro and his wife have been charged with narco-terrorism, importing cocaine into the United States, and possession of illegal weapons. They are currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn.
Why The US Acted
Trump had threatened strikes against Venezuela for weeks, citing Maduro’s alleged leadership of a drug cartel, illegal migration issues, and Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. Maduro denied involvement in narcotics trade and accused the US of seeking to overthrow him to control the country’s oil.
